Fujifilm to get cheaper??

[Poisson Du Jour]

I know, a normally stupid question, but with the yen now in virtual free fall, is it possible that Fujifilm's film might get a bit cheaper? On Friday the yen fell agains the dollar down to 101 yen per $1! That's amazing. I was just in Japan a few months ago and it was 90 yen to the dollar.

If the yen keeps dropping, might we see some film price relief from Japan?

Much remains to still be seen as the US dollar gains strength (I'm following this with interest) — not entirely unexpected. The Australian dollar like a few other currencies, is influenced is by Asian economic performance — especially China; there is weak economic data coming out of China at the moment (marked slowdown in electricity production is a key indice of China's industrial performance) so the AUD is falling while the US dollar is rising, the yen is falling... you get the picture — lots of selling off going on across currencies. All this could influence future prices, but not in the immediate term.

 

[RattyMouse]

Much remains to still be seen as the US dollar gains strength (I'm following this with interest) — not entirely unexpected. The Australian dollar like a few other currencies, is influenced is by Asian economic performance — especially China; there is weak economic data coming out of China at the moment (marked slowdown in electricity production is a key indice of China's industrial performance) so the AUD is falling while the US dollar is rising, the yen is falling... you get the picture — lots of selling off going on across currencies. All this could influence future prices, but not in the immediate term.

While the dollar is gaining against the yen, the dollar keeps losing against the Chinese yuan. I am paid in dollars, but my salary is delivered in yuan so I get less and less each month!

 

[lxdude]

While the dollar is gaining against the yen, the dollar keeps losing against the Chinese yuan. I am paid in dollars, but my salary is delivered in yuan so I get less and less each month!

Sounds like yuan the wrong path!

 

[mooseontheloose]

The last time I was in Japan (1968) I remember it was 360 Yen to the dollar

I first came to Japan in 1999 and somewhere in the following years (1999-2004) the yen was about 140 yen to the dollar. It didn't bother me then since it was about 68 yen to the Canadian dollar, but now that the Cdn dollar is at par with the US dollar, I'm not so happy. The way things are going now I hope it doesn't go much above 100 yen to the dollar, but historically that hasn't been the case.

In any event, I shoot film that I like, regardless of cost, which means I'm supporting all the major players (and some of the minor ones). I suppose eventually I'll get priced out, but as that's not the case at the moment, I'll shoot what I want while I still can.

Edit: Actually, I shouldn't say that! My yearly salary has dropped nearly $10,000 over the last year due to the weakening of the yen. I keep holding out on sending money home, but I have the feeling the exchange rate is only going to get worse as time goes on (although maybe it would encourage others to visit here!).

 

[xtolsniffer]

Silver is down to 65% of the price it was September last year, you would hope that some of that would filter down, mind you, it is priced in dollars, that complicates things.

 

[Photo Engineer]

Although the price of silver has dropped, the price of oil (for transportation) has gone up. Oil is used to produce the rare organic chemicals used in the manufacture of all photographic products and thus prices seem to either hold steady or still go up.

Then there is labor.

PE

 

[xtolsniffer]

You win some, you lose some....

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Sounds like yuan the wrong path!

<*groan*>

 

[Steve Roberts]

True, but you could decide that you just can't afford to shoot E6 any more and switch to Kodak Ektar instead of Velvia or go digital.

E6 is certainly in danger of pricing itself out of the market. Fuji's products are by no means cheap and with the cost of postage in the UK to and from processors, I'm looking at the best part of £20 to shoot a roll of Fuji 36exp E6. These days I think twice each time before I press the shutter and the concept of 'one spare just in case' has gone out the window unless it's a UFO or grassy knoll shot. I've been experimenting a lot lately ith B/W reversal processing (and will post something on this to the appropriate forum later) as I do like to shoot slides but find it increasingly ridiculously expensive to shoot E6.

Steve

 

[perkeleellinen]

Postage also kills you when you buy the film. Typically, it's around £4-£5, half the price of some films, more expensive than others. If you are not blessed with a local photo shop, you have to bulk buy which in the case of slide film may mean spending £100 to get ten rolls.

 

[Steve Roberts]

Postage also kills you when you buy the film. Typically, it's around £4-£5, half the price of some films, more expensive than others. If you are not blessed with a local photo shop, you have to bulk buy which in the case of slide film may mean spending £100 to get ten rolls.

E6 film, postage and processing actually manage the difficult task of making petrol seem a bit of a bargain!

Steve

 

[Pioneer]

E6 film, postage and processing actually manage the difficult task of making petrol seem a bit of a bargain!

Steve

See! Fuji and your postal service are just trying to help out whereever they can.

 

[Photo Engineer]

I expect E6 films to vanish completely in the near future (don't ask me to define this term). This is what I am hearing from some sources.

PE

 

[Klainmeister]

I expect E6 films to vanish completely in the near future (don't ask me to define this term). This is what I am hearing from some sources.

PE

I agree, which is quite the shame. I have to admit, though, that some of my gf's digi stuff is hugely impressive color wise. Only if people would stop oversaturating everything..

 

[Tom1956]

I'm in transition to going 8x10 and here's where something is non-sequitur: I'm going to go the X-Ray film route and learn to live ortho. Better than no film at all. X-Ray film in 8x10 can be had for 40 dollars per 100 sheet box, coated with emulsion on BOTH sides. And regular photographic 8x10 is coated on just one side, but I'd be lucky to pay for 6 sheets of that with my $40. Something is amiss here.

 

[kb3lms]

... Something is amiss here.

X-Ray film has much higher volume and it's a totally different emulsion in terms of dyes, etc. Unfortunately they do not cut T-Max and T-MAT G off of the same master roll. They may not even be coated in the same plant.

However, I have to agree that the price differential seems more than it should be. X-Ray film very likely has quite a bit more silver.

 

[Photo Engineer]

X-Ray film demand is declining rapidly and I would expect it to go up in price and then vanish. With its 2 layer structure, separated by film base, expect sharpness and flare to suffer. It is also far less complex than other films due to the lack of correction for reciprocity, latent image keeping and other items that are needed for a true PRO film.

PE

 

[RattyMouse]

The dentists that my family go to all have dropped film in favor of digital.

 

[Tom1956]

I'm not crazy about having to do the X-Ray film route, but I have studied it and have seen some very good results--enough to make giving up pan liveable. I have done NONE so far, so I'm no one to judge. It seems to me in 8x10 though, that my biggest concern of intra-base halation hopefully will not severely affect my contact-printed results. The price at this time sure seems conducive to a certain amount of shooting freedom, and it's already an 8x10 right out of the box.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

X-rays that track the 36-year progress of my renal transplant are all digital. They have been digital since at least 2005, including dental imaging. A couple of years ago after a digi-dental xray, there was a new item of interest: the dentist came up to my mouth not with a pick and mirror, but a Nikon D3 fitted with a tiny orb-like macro lens on the front. It looked threatening so very, very close — so close I could read the display on the top panel! In the great Nikon tradition, I didn't feel a thing! The three images instantly appeared on a laptop behind him and examined by nurse next to the digi x-rays. Fascinating stuff. Occasionally APUG members here do dabble with X-ray film in anything from pinholes to Bell & James set ups.

 

[xtolsniffer]

I expect E6 films to vanish completely in the near future (don't ask me to define this term). This is what I am hearing from some sources.

PE

I hope it's not too soon, I've just invested in a new film scanner for my 35mm E6 work....

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Originally Posted by Photo Engineer (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

I expect E6 films to vanish completely in the near future (don't ask me to define this term). This is what I am hearing from some sources.

PE


I will ask you to define it. In the absence of which, it can be considered heresay. People muttered and gloomed about 4 years ago that "film is dead", E6 too. Oh, hello!? it's still around with us, alive and kicking. We're still using it. It's abundant in supply. Labs still process it.

 

[Sal Santamaura]

...E6...it's still around with us, alive and kicking. We're still using it. It's abundant in supply. Labs still process it.

E-6 is still around, but "with shallow breathing and dragging its feet" would be a more apt description than "alive and kicking." Supply is radically reduced from four years ago and the number of labs that process it is drastically smaller.

Hearsay evidence may not be admissible, but that doesn't mean the charge is unfounded.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

E-6 is still around, but "with shallow breathing and dragging its feet" would be a more apt description than "alive and kicking." Supply is radically reduced from four years ago and the number of labs that process it is drastically smaller.

Hearsay evidence may not be admissible, but that doesn't mean the charge is unfounded.

That's all news to me. Must be a USA thing.

 

[RattyMouse]

That's all news to me. Must be a USA thing.

I just came back from the store I buy film from. There was a LOT of E6 film in all forms up to 4 x 5. In China, E6 seems pretty popular at least. Sadly, my film guy told me that he can no longer order Reala. That one's history.

On a positive note, I was in the camera mall today looking for a 35mm film camera to buy. I went to one store in the mall, where I knew that there were a lot of Contax G2 and other film cameras. I couldnt get in that cabinet because it was too busy! Other people out shopping for film cameras were monopolizing the staff.

I ended up buying a Nikon FM2. That and a lot of 135 size film. FINALLY I can shoot Neopan 400. I always wanted to try this film so loaded up many boxes of this film.